Twenty-year-old Claire must deceive a vampire prince to infiltrate the monarchy and discover their secrets while resisting her desire for him.
---
Nothing in my life has ever been easy. Including the mission my family has sent me on.
My sister and...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Explorer (verb) to explore
Arm in arm, Tansy led me around Chateau Rose, showing me the grander parts of the castle while explaining what she knew about each room.
I soaked in every detail, trying to learn all about this place, but it felt like something was missing.
As we traversed each long hallway and climbed the carpeted staircases, I had the sense that secrets weren't just kept in this place, but hidden. Buried with the intent of never speaking of them again.
Very much like Bastien.
I lifted my hand to the bloodstone, which was tucked safely beneath a fur stole, unable to stop thinking of him, regardless of how frustrated I was.
He was everywhere. Under my skin and in the air.
I wondered where he was now, and what he was doing. If he was holding an important meeting, or if he was cloistered in his room, touching himself like he'd done the other night.
Like I'd done this morning.
I bit my lip as a thrill of heady desire surged through me, then shook my head.
Determined to distract myself from my vampire mate, I ran my hand along the wood-paneled walls of the music room as I listened to Tansy list all the musicians that the castle hosted, until I came upon a door.
Something drew me to it. Something I couldn't explain. When I ran my finger over the carved patterns, I realized the wood was warmer than anything else in the room, like it was facing a sunny window—which it wasn't.
But that wasn't the strangest part. I swore I could hear murmuring on the other side. Whispering that I couldn't quite make out. Then suddenly, they stopped.
I didn't need to be magickal to know there was more to this castle than what I could see. Well kept secrets were tucked around every corner.
I canted my head to the side, contemplating the knob.
What else are you hiding from me, Bastien?
As soon as I thought his name, the whispers started again. Murmurs that I couldn't understand. Hesitantly, I reached for the handle, wondering if I'd find the vampire behind this very door, but stopped short of actually touching it when Tansy floated to my side, wearing one of her teasing grins.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
Startled and oddly disappointed that the whispers had stopped, I nodded, forcing a smile and clasping my hands together. "Of course."
She glanced from me to the door, then back again. Then clasped the handle and yanked the door open. Anticipation flooded my body, but all that was inside was a sheet music library and the scent of must.
